


a wondrous place for you and me

by icannotlivewithoutmysoul



Category: Psy-Changeling - Nalini Singh
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 02:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17050985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icannotlivewithoutmysoul/pseuds/icannotlivewithoutmysoul
Summary: When he became accustomed to her presence, the reaction would fade.





	a wondrous place for you and me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mystarsandmyocean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mystarsandmyocean/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide!

i.  
Tazia shifted her backpack on her shoulders, wincing a little under the weight. She’d chosen to bring all her possessions – all that remained after she’d pared down and sold everything else, anyway – with her, instead of having it sent down in the next cargo shipment. Most of her things were too precious for her to risk losing.

The man in front of her watched the movement out of steady gray eyes, but he made no comment. Tazia wasn’t surprised.

The Psy didn’t make extraneous comments. And there was no doubt in her mind that this man, with his military-straight bearing and flat eyes, was Psy.

“You have forty-eight hours to acquaint yourself with the environment,” Stefan Berg said. “And with your more urgent tasks. Do you have any questions as pertains the files I forwarded you?”

She shook her head. His directions had been perfectly clear. Maybe a little unnerving in their very perfection, but organization soothed her engineer’s soul. “I appreciate your taking the trouble to send them to me.”

His gaze swept over her, surprising her. “Do you require assistance to carry your luggage to your room?”

“No, thank you. I can manage.”

“Very well, then. Dinner will be served in the common room at seven. Welcome to Alaris.”

 

ii.

The new engineer was exceeding expectations, Stefan thought. He’d personally overseen the selection process, and Tazia Nerif was living up to her C.V.

The fact that she’d immediately connected with the crew was good, too. For all that his conditioning was flawed, Stefan was Psy enough to find the notion of emotional involvement confusing. Regardless, he was aware of the importance attached to the concept by humans and changelings. The report written by the station psychologist highlighted the importance of encouraging such bonds in order to strengthen productivity.

As it turned out, Tazia needed no encouragement.

Within hours of arriving, she’d befriended Andres and Allie. He had watched her, wanting to ascertain whether she displayed any signs of strain – not everybody could tolerate the underwater location – when she’d smiled at something Andres had said. Then she’d thrown back her head and laughed.

The stirring in his blood had sent shockwaves of dissonance through his system. It was… unsettling.

No matter. When he became accustomed to her presence, the reaction would fade.

 

iii.

Alaris was a blessing.

Not only was the job challenging and fulfilling beyond her wildest dreams, but she had now something tangible to offer to her parents along with her apologies. She’d come so far. Surely they would forgive her now. Her father would be proud.

Surely.

She expected their letter any day now. It had been two months since she’d sent hers, remembered happiness still bubbling in her bloodstream. She had her dream job, she had friends, and soon she would have her family back. Tazia could ask for nothing else.

She straightened, leaving the mini sensors she’d been toying with to be continued later. Stretching, she turned to head to the communal dining room.

And squeaked when she came face to face with the station commander.

“Stefan,” she brought a hand to her throat. “You startled me.”

“I apologize. I wanted to check up on the progress of the sensors.”

She didn’t ask how he knew about it. Stefan knew everything that went down in Alaris. “It’s coming along. It’s low priority, but I should have a prototype ready in two to three weeks.”

“Submit a report when you do.”

Tazia didn’t roll her eyes. Even if she’d had it in her to be so blatantly disrespectful, the gesture would be lost on Stefan. “Of course.”

He nodded but didn’t move.

“Was there anything else?”

The tiniest hesitation. Tazia frowned.

“You have grease on your left cheekbone.”

Flushing, she wiped at it, then watched him leave without another word.

Weird.

 

iv.

They were in a meeting when it happened.

Stefan went completely still, his voice trailing off mid–sentence. The people surrounding the table stared at him. Tazia watched her husband, a fist squeezing her heart at the infinitesimal tightening of his jaw; that sign of distress that he only ever got when something affected him deeply, and that only somebody as attuned to him as she was could spot.

_Don’t react. Don’t give yourself away,_ she thought, desperately fighting the urge to dive into his arms and find out what was wrong.

“You okay, man?” Andres asked, voicing the question in everybody’s mind.

He cleared his throat, the gesture so wildly out of character that her alarm grew. “My apologies. I’m afraid I must adjourn this meeting now. We will reschedule at your convenience.”

Nobody moved. Stefan had earned their respect. They might not know him like she did, but they knew enough to realize something was wrong.

Stefan rose. “Ms. Nerif, may I have a word?”

She followed him without a backwards glance. The second the meeting room door clicked close behind them, she grasped his hands. “Stefan, _what’s wrong_?”

The smile that slashed across his face was as devastatingly gorgeous as usual, and just as unexpected. “Stefan?”

“Aden just ‘pathed.”

She nodded. She’d met Stefan’s fellow Arrow in one of their last trips upside – and had then proceeded to tease her husband about his continued adherence to the squad’s fashion code until he’d teleported them to their hotel room and distracted her into limp incoherence.

“And?”

“Kaleb Krychek released a decree today. One supported by the Arrows, Nikita Duncan, and Anthony Kyriakus.”

Honestly, his newfound penchant for suspense reared its head at the most inconvenient of times. “ _And?_ ”

“Tazi… When do you want to file those papers?”

She couldn’t breathe.

“Are you saying…?”

He nodded. There was no need to speak.

Silence had fallen. They were free.

She launched herself at him in an explosion of breath, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Later, she’d realize she’d done both at the same time. She poured all her joy and relief into the kiss, pressing herself into his body, barely noticing when the door opened and gasps erupted from their stunned crewmates.

She laughed, heedless of the tears streaming down her cheeks. “I guess the secret’s out.”

Silence may have fallen, but Stefan remained Stefan. In a split second, he teleported them into his room. He stroked her hair in silent apology.

“Oh, Stefan, I understand.” He would never be comfortable being the center of attention – and for that matter, neither would she. Not that they’d have much choice in the matter in the near future.

Their nosy friends and crewmates would be all up in their business now.

All the more reason to treasure every moment they could steal together.

“About those papers?” He managed to say between kisses, laughing that low, sexy laugh that always made her feel wobbly inside.

“Yes. Today."

 

v.

In the end, they had to wait six weeks until their next trip upside. Neither of them cared.


End file.
